A post in which I throw something open to the public vote. It will be like X factor or ‘farrow and ball Factor’. I may even get Dermot round to announce that lines are now closed but you may still be charged.
I need to decide what colour to paint the outside of my house and its shutters! And I just can’t. It’s is a monstrous decision and one we will have to live with for years.
My options are – Stick with white walls and add a coloured shutter? Or paint the walls cream/grey/beige and have white shutters #firstworldproblems. And don’t get me started on the front door.
Options I’ve found and like include the following….
So what do we think then? Comments v welcome.
we bought a french house 
Option 1, perfect,
White walls and the powder blue shutters would be beautiful & classic or a lilac shutter? So many choices!
The second to last one is beautiful!
the first image is my vote. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
You might have to ask a different question first… What colour are we allowed to paint our shutters?
We bought our house in Dordogne 12 years ago and had this romantic idea of powder blue. But, having painted the first set of shutters using part of one tin of very expensive, specially mixed, imported from England paint, the next door neighbour’s son appeared.
Imagine here a sharp intake of breath. “Bleu!” he uttered, shaking his head.
“O..u..i..?” we falteringly relied.
Bleu, it would seem, was “interdit” and he reeled off a list of acceptable colours: “Vert, marron, gris…”
“Bleu?”
“Non, pas bleu! Rouge, blanc…”
So, basically any colour we would like to choose, as long as it wasn’t blue.
An embarrassing trip to the Mairie later, where the secretary informed the Maire in French that the English with the blue shutters were there to see him. I turned to my husband, having understood, and told him what they had said. She then apologised, having understood my English.
Needless to say, our shutters are now green, a la picture 4.
And now it is time to paint them again and I am in the same quandary as you. But one thing is for sure… They won’t we bleu!
Tracey – thank you this is great advice. Our Maire is usually quite laid back but it may be worth a visit and a chat before we do anything!!! Our village is only 40 houses and they seem to have a large variety of shutter colours so hopefully we will be ok x
What a wonderful adventure! I’m a little farrow-and-ball-duck-egg-green with envy. Options 1,3 or 5 are the ones I like best. I’m wondering what colour would be easiest to patch up? What colour are any of the other houses in the area?
I’m a big fan of Pinterest for getting ideas in home design and home style inspiration. I’ve pinned a few of my favourites if you wanted to have a peek. Pinterest.com/luciekerley
You might find a new colour combo that will put the others in the shade… *bo-bom*
All the best!
Lucie
Options 1,3 or 5 🙂
X
We are having the same dilemma, although we are only painting the back of our house as its rendered. I’m still in my grey phase at the moment so, my vote would be for dark grey shutters with a light stoney white colour for the walls.
Thats probably not helped at all sorry.
Are you going to do lots of tests on the wall and shutters first?
If so maybe post a few pics of the tests and see what everyone thinks.
Have a fabulous Saturday.
Px
We are having the same dilemma, although we are only painting the back of our house as its the only part that is rendered. I’m still in my grey phase at the moment so I would go with a dark earthy grey and stoney white walls.
Are you going to do some colour tests?
If so maybe post a few pics and we can all vote.
Have a great colour choosing weekend.
Px
I’d go white walls and grey or ‘greige’ for the shutters. I’m completely in love with that door though. Beaut. My other half and I looked into buying property in France last year. We’ve put it on our Future Plans list so I’m kind of living vicariously through your blog at the moment, quietly collating tips for the future.
I’d go white walls with either a grey or ‘greige’ shutters. I am utterly in love with that picture of the front door though. Beautiful. My other half and I looked into buying a property in France last year. We’ve put it on our Future Plans list so I’m currently kind of living vicariously through your blog, quietly collating tips for later… 🙂
I’d go with white walls and either a grey or ‘greige’ for the shutters. I am utterly in love with that picture of the front door though. Beautiful. My other half and I looked into buying property in France last year. We’ve put it on our Future Plans list so I’m currently kind of living vicariously through your blog, quietly collating tips for the future… 🙂
Thanks all for comments! I agree some sort of creamy walls and ‘greige’ shutters is my fave but I also love the way the frames are painted a contrasting colour to the shutters on pic one in green/grey
Posting 3 times! Great. Thanks technology. Thanks for that.
Hi there,
I quite like a mixture of the bottom two!
Though all would look lovely.
Carole x
I’d say none of them….do the unexpected. Be bold and use color bravely. Keep looking for pictures…make a statement with that gorgeous house. I have heard bold color will come alive in the next few years!
White or taupe or gray or stone..with a polite little bit of pastel. Well, while nice is quite riskless and life is short. Express yourself, go with your gut. Or do what I do and call a favorite designer that lives on the edge to give you ideas you haven’t thought of.
Any of the soft greys all the way… the ‘Bleu’ ones are so ‘A Year In Provence’ – like 20+ years ago – and I think since the advent of the colour chips of Farrow and Ball we’ve moved on a bit… n’est pas?
Yes agree but wanted to offer up breadth of options. Grey all the way really..
Grey is tres chic!
Am liking the last but one…greige? We just painted our hideous bright luminous green shutters (particularly fetching against a rose pink house) a similar grey and they have totally altered the look of the exterior and calmed down the pinkness. Didn’t ask permission from the maire and so far, no word from him….bon courage!
Haha Merci Karen – love your blog too btw
Thank you!
I’m a little late to this post, however…….
I’m ALL about grey at the moment – out kitchen diner is testament to that.
However my immediate thought given your post and some of the excellent comments above is Pigeon by, no surprises, Farrow and Ball.
It’s an unapologetic grey green and could work beautifully in the changing seasons and lights and provide the offset colour you’re looking for. I freely admit bias towards this colour as we’ve chosen it for our sitting room but it is a stunner.
I found this post particularly helpful: http://moderncountrystyle.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/case-study-farrow-and-ball-pigeon.html